How to Focus on Blessings in the Middle of Storms

Everyone who’s in the middle of a trial wants to know how to focus on blessings in the middle of storms. Easier said than done though, right? Being able to focus on blessings in the middle of storms is very difficult for most people to do. It’s our fleshly human nature to focus on the bad instead of what’s good.

Are Christian clichés a thing?

Indulge me, if they are because I’m going to use one as an example. I’ve always been a fan of Peter. Bold and brave one minute then cowering in a corner denying Christ the next. He was just so human, relatable.

Peter and his fellow disciples were in the middle of a terrible storm in Matthew 14: 22-33. He sees Jesus walking on the water and Peter asks if he can walk to Him. As long as Peter kept His eyes focused on Jesus, he too could walk on the water. But as soon as Peter allowed himself to look at the angry waves and think about the boisterous wind, he got scared. When Peter got scared, he immediately began to sink and cried out, “Lord, save me”. Of course, Jesus immediately took Peter by the hand and jerked him up above the water rescuing him.

Peter has taken a lot of flack for taking his eyes off Christ in this particular scenario; but, we’re much the same. When sickness comes or we get a scary diagnosis, the waves of the trials in our lives start to rise up angry and fierce. We take our eyes off Christ and we allow ourselves to get hyper focused on all the things the waves represent INSTEAD of the ONE who created the waves.

My friend, if you are a believer in Christ, you serve the CREATOR OF THE WAVES! God is STILL in control, even in the midst of what feels like chaos to us. This trial(s) did not take Him by surprise. He has gone before you and prepared a way. If He can provide for the birds, how much more does He care for us? How much more does He care for you? The answer is: SO MUCH MORE!

He knows our every thought and feeling, our fears and our insecurities. He knows EXACTLY what we’re going through. Yet, in all of this we are “more than conquerors” through Him.

While Peter kept His eyes on Jesus, he was able to do the impossible. When did Peter start to feel doubt rise up? As soon as he took his eyes off of Christ and focused on the storm. When Peter looked at the angry waves crashing all around him, doubt crept in. When doubt began to creep in, Peter immediately started to sink.

The same is true for us. If we get up everyday and look at the towering trials all around us; then, we’re doomed. We have to intentionally look for and focus on all the good things in our lives. We have to focus on the things we CAN do and not the things can’t. Most importantly we have to maintain Christ as our core, the One who is the source of our strength.

A storm doesn’t feel like a storm when the Lord whispers “Peace, be still,” to your heart. I’ve experienced that in my life and I pray that you have too. There’s an old song by the gospel group, The McKameys, that I love and it says:

“sometimes He calms the storm, sometimes He calms me, sometimes the storm still rages on; but, I feel the sweetest peace”.

The words to that song ring so true. I’ve been in situations my stomach should’ve been in knots; but, it wasn’t because the Lord calmed me. The storm kept right on raging and trust me, it didn’t let up any time soon. But, the Lord reached down from Heaven and calmed me in my heart and somehow I knew whatever the outcome, everything would be ok.

I knew I could face victory or defeat because I would still have my Jesus and my loved ones there supporting me. When you’re in the “thick of things”, it can feel impossible to see past the numerous trials mounting up before you. But, when you keep your eyes on Jesus, remember who He is and all that He’s capable of then, those trials won’t seem nearly as impossible.

How do I focus on blessings in the middle of storms? Similar to Peter. As long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he was able to accomplish the impossible. But, he had to keep his heart and mind right to do so. Peter had to block out the waves. He had to put his blinders on and focus in on Jesus.

You know we’re not that different from Peter. He was just as flawed as you and me, yet he was capable of doing something impossible (walking on the water) as long as he kept his heart and mind set on Christ. The Lord hasn’t changed. Malachi 3: 6 says “For I am the LORD, I change not…”. If the Lord can allow Peter to walk on the water; then, I believe He can help us to focus on all the blessings that He gives even in the middle of our hardest storms.

Each day, we get to choose what we will set our focus on. My pain is constant, but the levels fluctuate. No matter what I do, I’m in pain: sitting, standing, laying down. Every step is painful; I’m in pain even when I’m laying on the couch or in the bed. I could choose to let that be my primary focus each day. But, I ask you, what benefit would it serve? None. So, instead, I wake up thankful I was able to get out of the bed on my own because there’s been seasons in my health journey that I couldn’t. I choose each day NOT to dwell on all the things chronic pain has taken from me.

The choice is ours to make. Each day is an opportunity to start afresh. Do you need to make a mindset shift? Will you choose to see the good or continue dwelling on the bad? Will you see the glass half empty or half full? The decision is yours.